1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to method and apparatus for measuring performance data of components of a construction machine such as engine, speed changing mechanism, brake and hoist cylinder of a dump truck, or torque converter, speed changing mechanism, steering clutch, brake and hydraulic mechanisms of a bulldozer.
2. Background Art
With a construction machine, for example, a dump truck, performance data of various components or mechanisms such as engine, speed changing mechanism, brake, hoist cylinder and the like are periodically measured. According to the changes of the obtained data, the conditions of the respective components are judged, possibility of occurrence of accidents or faults, which may occur thereafter, is preliminarily estimated, and the components are preliminarily repaired or parts thereof are exchanged in advance to prevent such estimated accidents or faults from occurring.
In order to measure the performance data of such various components, a worker or operator connects a tester or measuring means to a part of the component to be measured an manually handles the component so as to satisfy conditions for the measurement of the part to be measured and accordingly, such operation or handling involves much troublesome working.
The present invention was conceived to improve the defects or drawbacks encountered in the prior art mentioned above and an object of the present invention is therefore to provide method and apparatus for measuring performance data of components of a construction machine.
A first aspect for achieving the above object is to provide a method of measuring performance data of a component of a construction machine comprising the steps of:
automatically operating the components mounted to the construction machine so as to satisfy one of a plurality of measurement conditions which are preliminarily set;
automatically measuring performance data of the components set under the above automatically operated state; and
successively performing the same steps as those defined above with respect to remaining measurement conditions other than the above-mentioned one measurement condition thereby to measure the performance data of the components with one or more than one measurement conditions.
According to this first aspect, the component of the construction machine can automatically operate so as to satisfy the measurement conditions, and the performance data of the component can be automatically measured with such measurement conditions, whereby the measuring working can be made easy.
A second aspect of the present invention is to provide a method of measuring performance data of a component of a construction machine according to the first aspect 1, wherein the measured performance data is sent to a remote place apart from the construction machine and an abnormal condition is displayed on the remote place at a time when the measured performance data is different from a normal performance data.
According to this second aspect, it is known whether the measured data is normal or abnormal at a remote place apart from the construction machine. Therefore, it becomes possible to know abnormality of the measured data of a plurality of construction machines at a remote place apart from the construction machines and, hence, a plurality of construction machines can be managed in a centralized manner.
A third aspect of the present invention is to provide a method of measuring performance data of a component of a construction machine according to the first aspect, wherein the measured data of components of one or more than one construction machines are sent to a remote place every one construction machine and the measured performance data of the components of the respective construction machines are totally processed and stored in the remote place.
According to this third aspect, the following advantageous effects will be achieved.
That is, in an environment at which a plurality of construction machines different in types are worked in set, the construction machines are interspersed and worked independently in a wide area, and in such case, workers who perform inspection or maintenance of the machines are required to have much time and labour in order to contact and operate the set of the construction machines worked at various positions. In such working environment, it is generally required for the construction machines to be operated with high working performance and efficiency, and for example, it is extremely necessary to prevent occurrence of such event or failure that the construction machine is out of order and is not worked. In order to prevent such event or failure, it is necessary to perform a periodical inspection or service. However, only in performing the predetermined service every predetermined engine working time or travelling distance, it is hard to say that such service or inspection is complete or satisfied because the life times of the construction machines are different in their loads in use or using environments.
In view of above facts, in the first aspect of the present invention, since the measurement of the performance data of the component of the construction machine is performed automatically, the measurement of the performance data can be done by the operator of the construction machine without the maintenance worker going to the construction machine. In addition, in the third aspect of the present invention mentioned above, the performance data can be collected and stored in one base through a preferred communication means, so that the maintenance worker or management representative of the construction machines can know the performance data of a plurality of construction machines without moving their positions. Such data are accumulated and analyzed in any time series method thereby to estimate the time at which the components or parts of the construction machines are to be overhauled or exchanged to obviate an occurrence of faults. In this view point, the measurement data in the present invention are ones which are measured under the quite same conditions set automatically, so that such time series analysis can be effectively performed and provides high reliability.
A fourth aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for measuring performance data of an component of a construction machine comprising:
means for detecting performance data of components mounted to the construction machine;
means for storing a plural sets of measurement signals and control signals for realizing measurement conditions corresponding to the plural sets of measurement signals;
control means for outputting automatically successively, to the components, a set of measurement signals and control signals creating states for satisfying the measurement conditions corresponding to the set of the measurement signals with reference to the means for storing, to obtain performance data, and successively performing the same operation with respect to the remaining sets of measurement signals and control signals, when measurement starting signal is inputted into the control means; and
means for inputting the measurement starting signal to the control means.
According to this fourth aspect, when the measurement starting signal is inputted into the control means, the control means successively measures the performance data in conditions coincident with the predetermined measurement conditions. Therefore, the performance data of the respective components of the construction machine can be measured only through the inputting of the measurement starting signal.
A fifth aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for measuring performance data of a component of a construction machine according to the fourth aspect, which further comprises a communication means for inputting the measurement starting signal to the control means from a remote place apart from the construction machine.
According to this fifth aspect, the measurement can be started by transmitting the measurement starting signal from the remote place apart from the construction machine.
A sixth aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for measuring performance data of a component of a construction machine according to the fourth aspect, which further comprises:
a communication means for transmitting and receiving the measured performance data to and from a remote place apart from the construction machine;
a data processing means for processing the performance data received by the communication means so as to provide a form to be displayed;
means for displaying the measured performance data processed by the data processing means; and
means arranged in operative association with the data processing means and adapted to store the measured performance data.
In this sixth aspect, the measured performance data can be transmitted to a remote place apart from the construction machine, and accordingly, for example, the construction machine can be managed at a base apart from a place at which the construction machine is worked.
A seventh aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for measuring performance data of a component of a construction machine according to the above fifth or sixth aspect, which further comprises a data processing means adapted to judge to be abnormal in a case where the measured performance data differs from a correct (normal) performance data and a display means for displaying a fact of the abnormal condition when judged as being abnormal.
According to this seventh aspect, the fact that the measured performance data is abnormal can be visually observed.
An eighth aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for measuring performance data of a component of a construction machine according to the above sixth aspect, wherein the communication means for transmitting and receiving the measured performance data to and from a remote place apart from the construction machine generates transmission data in combination of the measured data and data other than the measured data such as vehicle type identification number, year, month, day and time of the measuring, engine total working time and groups of measured conditions.
In this eighth aspect, since the transmission data includes the vehicle type identification number, year, month, day and time of the measuring, engine total working time and groups of measured conditions, the respective data can be easily arranged and managed.
A ninth aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for measuring performance data of a component of a construction machine according to the above eighth aspect, wherein the transmission data is used as centralized management data of the construction machine.
According to this ninth aspect, the transmission data is utilized for the centralized management data of the construction machine, so that the construction machine groups working at various positions in a wide area can be concentrically managed and controlled.